Committees, Boards & Working Groups

Various Committees and Working Groups provide advice and input to Council and the high level operations of the AIOH.

Below is a list of the current AIOH Committees, Boards and Working Groups.

The AIOH is fortunate to have many members who volunteer their time to work on various committees and working groups. Council recognises and appreciates their involvement. Members are encouraged to actively participate and urged get involved by serving on committees and working groups at various stages of their career. The current committees and working groups are listed below.

Members are encouraged to contact the Chair for further information or to volunteer their services.

Awards and Sponsorship Committee

Purpose: To advise Council on matters relating to awards and sponsorships; liaise with all sponsors, prepare agreements and ensure smooth running of activities between sponsors and AIOH; liaise with the Conference Committee to ensure consistency across sponsorship areas and agreements; liaise with AIOH Office to send out notifications of awards to members, acceptance of nominations; and process awards in a confidential and timely manner, review award applicants and make recommendations to Council.

2018 objectives/tasks: Attend to matters of awards and sponsorships as requested by The Executive and Council.

Purpose: The purpose of the AIOH Communications and Marketing Committee is to assist the Executive and Council in meeting their responsibilities to the AIOH for communicating with its members and external parties.​ In particular the committee is responsible for producing the quarterly newsletter OH Matters.

Certification Board

Purpose of the board: To evaluate applications for Certification and assess conferences, seminars and other professional activities for certification maintenance points. The Certification Board performs the following activities:

Evaluates applications for Certification to determine whether a candidate will be accepted to sit the oral examination;

Sets and runs the oral examination in accordance with the Oral examination procedure;

Ethics & Constitution Committee

Purpose: To provide advice and guidance to the AIOH Executive Committee and the AIOH membership on ethical matters that arise within or affecting the Institute.

2018 objectives/tasks: Manage issues as they are presented to the E&C committee, close out matters from 2017 including the review and finalisation of the AIOH Code of Ethics Policy and attend to the request from COHers for more Ethics training opportunities.

Exposure Standards Committee

Purpose of the committee / Mission statement: The AIOH established the Exposure Standards Committee to provide expert guidance and comment to the exposure standards setting process at a State and National level and internationally where appropriate, through development of AIOH Position Papers, AIOH guidance publications or comment on relevant Standards, Regulations and Codes of Practice. The Committee's remit is to confirm that the revision of exposure standards, and other relevant Standards and Codes of Practice, are valid and based on good occupational hygiene and scientific principles. The Committee is also concerned with the integrity of the exposure assessment process whereby sampling results for airborne contaminants are compared against exposure standards.

2018 objectives/tasks: Update the ‘Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS)’ and ‘Inorganic Lead’ position papers and write a ‘Biological Monitoring’ position paper; publish three Technical Papers from NATA; Re-write the ‘Simplified Occupational Hygiene Risk Management Strategies’ publication; update the AIOH Quebec model for adjusting exposure standards for extended work shifts; and continue engagement with Safe Work Australia on the review of the WES’s.

Mentoring Committee

2018 objectives/tasks: Track existing pairs and provide support and encouragement. Agree on and document process for annual review for mentors. Prepare case studies for newsletters as publicity/encouragement. Prepare material for mentors to help with candidates with COH success.

Professional Development & Education (PD&E) Committee

Chair: Kelly Johnstone

Committee Members: David Lowry, Sue Reed, Susanne Tepe, Jane Whitelaw

Purpose: To assist the AIOH Executive and Council in meeting the needs of its members and the broader community of occupational hygiene professionals for education and continuing professional development

Assist the AIOH Office with identifying topics/professional development needs for AIOH members and the broader community in the area of occupational hygiene professional practice (could be full day seminars or alternative professional development)

Assist the AIOH Office with the identification of suitable speakers/presenters to meet the identified professional development needs

Be kept informed of the progress with the review and update of the AIOH Basic Text Book Principles of Occupational Health and Hygiene

Coordinate the review and update of the teaching resources for the AIOH Basic Principles Course and provide assistance to the AIOH Office as required to ensure the quality delivery of the course

Purpose: The role of the Risk, Audit, Finance, Quality (RAFQ) Committee is to assist the Council to fulfil governance requirements and oversee the AIOH responsibilities related to financial reporting, internal document and procedure management control systems, operating business and financial risk management system quality and audit functions. RAFQ provides an independent, informed and expert function to oversee, monitor and report to the Council on AIOH's exposure to various business risks.

The work of the Committee is to fulfil the following objectives:

Improve the credibility and objectivity of the accountability process and financial reporting to Council and the Membership;

Provide a forum for communication of relevant issues between the Executive, Council and management and administration;

Ensure a rigorous risk management process is in place at all levels of AIOH activity;

Ensure a system for evaluating, reviewing and implementing policies and procedures to support robust financial and opera¬tional management; and

Strategic Advisory Committee

Purpose: The role of the Strategic Advisory Committee is to provide strategic and high level support to the AIOH President and Council regarding matters of strategic planning and the setting of Council priorities and projects, international and national relations, external advocacy and continuity of Council and other key appointments at the AIOH.

2018 objectives/tasks: As directed by Council, but currently; review of the AIOH Rules and Statement of Purpose & review of the COH Policy & Procedures.